PENINSULA JUNIOR RODEO Association members gave corking good performances at the annual Junior Rodeo at the Clallam County Fairgrounds last weekend.
More than 90 contestants aged 2 to 18 showed up to compete for the title of All-Around Cowboy or Cowgirl in his or her division and a chance to win one of six saddles awarded to high-point winners.
I was ecstatic to learn four of the saddles were won by our local junior rodeo’s cowboys and cowgirls.
The talented Matthew Mundell won a saddle in this, his first year of competition. Other local saddle winners were Emily VanAusdle, Kaitlyn Meeks and Amelia Hermann.
PJRA is part of the Northwest Junior Rodeo circuit and the final rodeo of the season before the finals are held in three weeks in Kitsap.
All the PJRA members qualified for the finals, including Matthew. As he’s now 18, after the finals, it’s also his final year competing at the junior level.
He can go on to compete at the regular rodeo level, such as the Ellensburg Rodeo on Labor Day Weekend.
So congratulations to Matthew for winning a saddle during his first year in competition.
Saddles and prizes were sponsored and donated by local businesses. A few have sponsored saddles for several years in a row, and I say kudos to them for their outstanding generosity.
Winning a saddle is a huge accomplishment, which takes a lot of work and dedication by these kids.
Coach and saddle winner Emily’s mom, Tina, told me all the members “have had an awesome year. These kids work hard all year long keeping their horses happy, healthy and in shape to compete. They spend countless hours in the practice pen and at clinics perfecting their skills.”
She said she’s thankful to all the “great sponsors that keep our rodeo up and running year after year, help us to pay for our prizes and everything else needed.”
Tina’s granddaughter, Hannah, 4, participated in her first rodeo this year being led by her Aunty Em.
Hannah rode fast enough to finish with a good time and won a prize but unfortunately fell off her horse.
Tina said the girl “is fine” and now considers herself “a real cowgirl because she had her first fall.”
More good news is that Hannah’s back in the saddle and ready to compete again.
Additional placings
High-point runners-up:
■ Senior Boy: Jake Warren.
■ Senior Girl: Anne Meeks.
■ Junior Girl: Rebekah Mundell.
Senior girls:
■ Anne: In-trail, first; in-flags, second; goats, second; barrels, second; breakaway roping, second.
■ Emily: Flags, first; poles, first; goats, first; trail, second; breakaway roping, fourth; barrels, fifth.
■ Micayla Weider: Trail, sixth.
■ Saydee Hermann: Goats, fourth; breakaway roping, sixth.
Senior boys:
■ Jake: Calf roping, first; team roping, second; chute dogging, sixth.
■ Wyatt Billings: Team roping, second.
■ Matthew: Wild cow milking, first; team roping, third; flags, third; chute dogging, fourth.
Junior boys:
■ Samuel Mundell: Goats, fourth.
Junior girls:
■ Ally Billings: Barrels, first; poles, first.
■ Sydney Balkin: Goats, fourth.
■ Kaitlyn: Team roping, first; barrels, second; poles, second.
■ Rebekah: Goats, first; steer daubing, third; flags, fourth.
Pee Wee Girls:
■ Amelia: Goats, first; dummy roping, first; barrels, second; poles, second; trail, second.
Buckaroos:
■ Hannah Martin: Cal stake, fifth.
PSHA
Kynzie Hendricks, Tayler Lemon, Waynora Martin and Dan Dickson were crowned state champions at the Patterned Speed Horse Association State Finals, held in Wenatchee from Aug. 16-18.
The Olympic Peninsula Zone sent 16 qualifiers to the finals.
To qualify, riders must be among the top 12 competitors throughout the state as established by their times at various shows throughout the year.
Results for local riders
Junior riders:
■ Duncan Parks: Flags, second; polebending, third; keyrace, fourth; figure eight, sixth; Cal stake, 10th; barrels, 10th; cowhide, third; bareback relay, seventh.
■ Zoe Thompson: Keyhole, fourth; poles, seventh; Cal stake, 11th; figure eight, 12th.
Note: At just 7 years old, Duncan is the youngest competitor in PSHA history to qualify and compete in all seven individual events
Intermediate riders:
■ Kynzie: Barrels, first (state champion time of 14.489 seconds); keyrace, second (reserve champion); figure eight, third; Cal stake, third.
■ Tylar Decker: Figure eight, second (reserve champion); barrels, fourth; Cal stake, second (reserve champion); team baton, third; team poles, fourth; bareback relay, third.
Senior A riders:
■ Ady Crosby: Polebending, second (reserve champion); flags, second (reserve champion); Cal stake, third; barrels, sixth; figure eight, 10th; bareback relay, third; team baton, seventh; team poles, fifth; team flags, fifth; flags, second (reserve champion); two-man stake, second.
■ Tayler: Barrels, first (state champion with time of 14.464); figure eight, first (state champion); Cal stake, sixth.
Senior B riders:
■ Jamie Parks: Rescue race, sixth; bareback relay, seventh with teammate Jessica Parks.
Super Senior A Riders
■ Waynora: Polebending, first (state champion time of 20.737); figure eight, third; keyrace, fifth; barrels, ninth; Cal stake, fifth; two-man stake, first (state champion); two-man/three-barrel, first (state champion).
■ Dan: Polebending, fourth; two-man stake, first (state champ); two-man/three-barrel, first (state champion); team flags, fourth; team baton, third.
■ Molly Dickson: Team flags, fourth; team baton, third.
■ Marie Decker: Team flags, fourth; team baton, third.
■ Pam Crosby: Team flags, fifth; team poles, fifth; team baton, seventh; two-man/three-barrel, 11th.
Note: Dan’s two state championships were his first after 25 years of competing.
Super Senior B riders:
■ Sam Parks: Figure eight, fourth; barrels, fourth; keyrace, seventh; keyhole, seventh; Cal Stake, eighth; team baton, seventh; team poles, fifth; team flags, fifth; bareback relay, seventh; two-man/three-barrel, 11th; team baton, seventh; team poles, fifth; team flags, fifth; bareback relay, third.
■ Brad Varner: Poles, fourth; flags, fifth; Cal stake, seventh; team poles, fifth; team flags, seventh; team baton, seventh; and bareback relay, third.
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Karen Griffiths’ column, Peninsula Horseplay, appears every other Wednesday.
If you have a horse event, clinic or seminar you would like listed, please email Griffiths at kbg@olympus.net at least two weeks in advance. You can also write Griffiths at PDN, P.O. Box 1330, Port Angeles, WA 98362.
